Hi! I’m Dr. Bryn James, Vice Head of School and Head of High School at BASIS International School Hangzhou. I’d like to share my career pathway at BASIS International & Bilingual Schools • China (BIBS • C), what it means to be a leader here, and my advice if you’re thinking about joining our leadership community.
Career Progression
I joined BIBS • C in 2017, having previously worked with London schools as part of the U.K. Department for Education’s Researchers in Schools program, and held a post-graduate research position at King’s College London. In 2016, when the U.K. opted to leave the EU, it seemed sensible to look internationally. At that time, BIBS • C was recruiting the founding team for their second school: BASIS International School Guangzhou. The prospect of joining a school founding was especially interesting, and the BIBS • C approach appealed to me—an accelerated curriculum, a belief that students can achieve more, and success as measured by getting graduates into top universities on competitive courses.
At BASIS International School Guangzhou, I taught AP World History and Grade 6 World History. Following a successful first year, I was invited to join the founding team of BASIS International School Hangzhou as a Dean, which at that time was equivalent to a Vice Head of Division position. In 2019, I was promoted to Director of Student Affairs, which at that time was equivalent to a Head of Middle and High School position. Since then, I have served as Head of Middle and High School, with periods focused solely on the High School, whilst responsible for particular new initiatives.
BASIS International School Guangzhou
BASIS International School Hangzhou
In 2022, I was promoted to Vice Head of School. My responsibilities include maximizing the academic and college potential of High School students; coaching and supporting teachers, especially those teaching AP exam classes; mentoring Middle and High School Department Chairs; coordinating whole-year strategic and implementation planning for teachers, students, and the community; and overseeing the school’s fine arts, athletics, and after-school activities programs.
What it Means to be a BIBS • C Leader
Being a leader at BIBS • C differs from other schools in ways that really matter to me. Academic leadership here has a much clearer focus on teaching and learning compared to similar positions in the U.K. For myself, and I suspect many other colleagues, this is a relief, as working with teachers, students, and the community is my preference over spending huge amounts of time juggling balance sheets.
Another thing that sets BIBS • C leadership apart is that most academic leaders continue to teach classes. Being in the classroom keeps me grounded in the reality of what we’re asking teachers to do every day. It means I learn firsthand about what works and what doesn’t, and I can try out new teaching strategies or approaches before recommending them to colleagues. There’s nothing quite like seeing students from current and previous classes in the halls – it keeps me connected to why we’re all here.
Leaders at BIBS • C also spend considerable time coaching and observing teachers, and collaborating purposefully on pedagogy and curriculum or assessment delivery. Additionally, being a leader at BIBS • C means being part of a network of schools in China, and the broader BASIS Curriculum Schools network. Over the years, I’ve contributed to network-wide developments on areas ranging from the development and delivery of History curriculum to the implementation of tech developments. I’ve also been involved in pastoral projects such as the LACE Program, whereby network High Schools collaborated on sharing and unifying non-academic programs to strengthen student well-being.
My Leadership Approach
My core leadership approach rests on three main pillars I’ve developed over my years here: instructional leadership; distributed, collaborative leadership; and an ethical, values-based approach to the ‘moral purpose’ of headship.
For me, instructional leadership is the ‘Golden Thread’ running through everything I do. I see myself as a lead learner who believes that developing the quality of teaching drives improvement in student outcomes. At BIBS • C, this plays out through coaching teachers in evidence-based practices, working with middle leaders on curriculum coherence, and maintaining a culture of high expectations that underpin teacher and student satisfaction. The Education Endowment Foundation’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit remains a go-to resource for research and evidence-based approaches to classroom impact.
Distributed and collaborative leadership is essential given the size of our schools and the network. My focus is on building and empowering teachers and middle leaders by delegating authority, developing capacity, and creating an environment where others can lead effectively, facilitating the right decisions at the right levels. This means I spend a lot of time on collaboration and awareness, working in partnership with both the teaching team, as well as students, parents, and staff across the wider BIBS • C network. Andy Buck’s What Makes a Great Middle Leader has meaningfully shaped my strategy, vision, and approach.
Working in a multi-cultural international school environment, maintaining a moral purpose in leadership serves as an anchor. I believe BIBS • C is as an important bridge for Chinese students to access top courses at top universities across the world, at a time when such connection is increasingly important. Day-to-day, my values-based approach remains framed by U.K. training on the Nolan Principles: Selflessness; Integrity; Objectivity; Accountability; Openness; Honesty; Modeling Good Leadership. They remind me why I do this work.
Network Collaboration
BASIS International & Bilingual Schools • China leaders collaborate and support each other through network-organized initiatives like the Summer Institute for new leaders, on-site trainings, monthly online leadership roundtables, and semi-annual in-person Institute of Management and Teaching (IMAT) events. In these settings, we unpack problems of practice and figure out solutions together, drawing on frameworks including Cognitive Coaching and Adaptive Schools models.
Outside of formal network-organized collaboration, there’s a strong mentorship culture, supported by both formal and informal structures. Key mentorship has come from Kyra Gailis, Head of School at BASIS International School Hangzhou, particularly in culture building, sustaining initiatives, and leading effective meetings. At the network level, Dr. Mark Reford, BIBS • C’s Chief Executive Head of School, has provided many years of mentorship, particularly in setting and attaining high academic expectations, both via structured IMAT senior leadership workshops drawing on Andy Grove’s seminal text High Output Management, as well as through personal coaching grounded in a radical honesty approach. Marissa Arvidson, BIBS • C’s Senior Director of College Admissions, has been instrumental in deepening my understanding of the elite university admissions landscape.
Thanks to BIBS • C’s scale, there have been so many deeply valuable mentoring opportunities from which I have greatly benefited.
Professional Support System
As a BIBS • C leader, I have received significant professional development support over the years, from certified CIALFO U.S. College Counseling training, to AP Coordinator and subject-specific development, as well as U.K. Department For Education National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) in Senior Leadership and Headship.
In-house training follows a clear professional development structure whereby initiatives are agreed upon collaboratively and implemented through multi-year cycles. Cognitive Coaching training has been particularly impactful—it’s a non-judgmental, research-based model designed to enhance a teacher’s cognitive processes, encouraging self-directed learning, reflection, and improved decision-making. Similarly, Adaptive Schools training provides tools to foster inquiry, enhance collective efficacy, and create a culture of continuous school improvement.
The BIBS • C leadership community has become the most impactful professional learning community I’ve ever been part of. Colleagues across the network read professional literature with me, are there when I need to talk through a challenging situation, and celebrate my successes as much as their own. They’re there for me intellectually as well as emotionally.
BIBS • C also encourages professional growth by having clear paths through middle and senior leadership, as well as a scale and growth trajectory across the school network, allowing staff to move up. A motivated teacher can gain experience across divisions and subjects, design their own elective, and take on early additional leadership responsibilities such as coaching sports or leading an extracurricular activity. Teachers are also encouraged to apply for in-school roles such as, Chair, Head of Department, and network-wide Curriculum Advisor. From there, a clear pathway exists to Vice Head of Division, where senior leadership experience can be gained whilst receiving direct mentoring. Importantly, as a growing network, opportunities exist across all schools, allowing motivated candidates a pathway that is not dependent on succession at a single campus.
My Advice for Teachers Interested in Moving into Leadership Within BASIS International & Bilingual Schools
My advice is to lean into the opportunities BIBS • C provides. Express interest in taking on additional responsibilities, whether that’s designing an elective, coaching a sport, or supporting a department initiative. Seek feedback and be open to it. The culture of coaching and reflection here means there are always colleagues willing to help you grow.
Build relationships across divisions and subjects. Understanding the whole picture of how a BIBS • C school operates is invaluable. And if the opportunity to join a founding team ever arises, take it – having been part of two founding teams, I can say there’s no faster professional growth than being part of building something new from the ground up.
When I’m considering potential leaders, I look for strong classroom practices and colleagues who already go above and beyond in their roles as classroom teachers. I evaluate the extent to which they drive faculty learning in their department or make a positive difference in teaching and learning.
Finally, be patient but purposeful. Leadership here isn’t about a title; it’s about impact. Focus on your craft, support your colleagues, and keep improving outcomes for students. The rest will follow.
Dr. Bryn James
Vice Head of School and Head of High School
BASIS International School Hangzhou
For more information on teaching with BASIS International & Bilingual Schools, visit our careers website.
